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Journal of Advanced Laboratory Research in Biology
We- together to save yourself society
e-ISSN 0976-7614
Volume 3, Issue 4, October 2012
Research Article
A Study on the Physicochemical Properties of the Selected Ponds of Patna Town, Bihar,
India
Arvind Kumar Rai* and Farah Diba
*Department of Civil Engineering, Sityog Institute of Technology, Aurangabad, Bihar 824101, India.
Abstract: With the progress of the urbanization and industrialization, many types of water pollutants (such as
pesticide, heavy metals, detergents, municipal wastes, domestic wastes and fertilizers) were generated. These
pollutants were distributed into the environment by the different sources. These pollutants were distributed into the
environment by the different sources. In this research paper, physicochemical characteristic of water samples from
selected ponds in and around Patna, Bihar has been studied. The parameters observed were Temperature, pH,
Electrical conductivity, Calcium, Phosphate, Total Hardness, Alkalinity, Chloride, Dissolved oxygen, Free CO2 and
Nitrate. It can be concluded that the water parameters which were taken for the present study were above the
pollution level of surface water which does not satisfy their requirement for the use of various purposes. In this
investigation, a brief attempt has been made to study the extent of change in the quality of water in comparison to
water quality standards of World Health Organization (WHO).
Keywords: Water pollution, pH, Dissolved oxygen, Alkalinity, Hardness.
1.
Introduction
Water covers 70.9% of the earth's surface and is
vital for all known forms of life. On earth, 96.5% of the
planet's water is found in the oceans, 1.7% in
groundwater, 1.7% in glaciers and the ice caps of
Antarctica and Greenland, a small fraction in other
large water bodies, 0.001% in the air as vapor, clouds
(formed of solid and liquid water particles suspended in
air), and precipitation. Only 2.5% of the earth's water is
fresh, and 98.8% of that water is in ice and
groundwater. Less than 0.3% of all freshwater are in
rivers, lakes and the atmosphere, and an even smaller
amount of the earth's freshwater (0.003%) is contained
within biological bodies and manufactured products. In
India, very few studies have been made to understand
the physicochemical properties of lakes, reservoirs and
ponds [1]. Ponds are not only a significant source of
water but also provide valuable habitats to the several
microbes. Biological oxygen demand, eutrophication,
siltation, sedimentation, deterioration in water quality
and shrinking of ponds are major problems in India due
*Corresponding author:
E-mail: dolphinarvind@gmail.com.
to various man-made activities. Anthropogenic nutrient
enrichment causes serious changes in physical and
chemical quality of aquatic water bodies [2]. The
excessive amount of nutrients favours the growth of
algae and weeds leading to eutrophication in the water
bodies [3]. The nutrient enrichment results in
diminishing economic, socio as well as recreational
values of ponds and rivers [4]. The water bodies get
polluted due to the discharge of effluents from the
several industries, domestic activities, municipal
activities and soil pollution from the nearby polluted
areas. These factors result in the deterioration of water
quality of the various water bodies.
Most of the cities and towns have developed in and
around the bank of the pond because of the
multipurpose use of pond water. But, unfortunately,
some ponds are being polluted by indiscriminate
disposal of sewage and industrial wastes [5]. Pollution
of ponds is due to numerous pollutants or contaminants
which are given in Table 1. These pollutants when
discharged through sewage system poison the
biological purification mechanism of ponds and pose
Study on the Physicochemical Properties of the Ponds of Patna
several pollution problems. It has been drastically
affected the living biota of the aquatic system. In Table
2, drinking water standards of the Bureau of Indian
Standards (BIS) and World Health Organization is
shown.
Table 1. Classification of Different Water Pollutants.
S. No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
2.
Types
Oxygen demanding
wastes
Examples
Human and Animal waste, Decaying
vegetation
Detergents, Insecticides, Oils,
Organic Wastes
Aldehydes, Phenolic compounds,
Aromatic hydrocarbons
Infectious agents
Bacteria and Viruses
Plant nutrients
Nitrates and Phosphates
Silt, Stone quarrying works, China clay
Suspended materials
and Coal particles
DDT, Aldrin, Endrin, Lindane and
Pesticide pollutants
Carbamates
Acids, Alkalies, Soluble salts and
Inorganic Wastes
Polyphosphates
Material and Methods
2.1 Study area
Patna is the headquarter of Patna district and the
capital city of the state of Bihar. The total geographical
Rai and Diba
area of Patna is 3,202 sq.kms. It is divided into six
subdivisions and 23 community development blocks.
The district of Patna is very well linked with the other
parts of the country through road, rail and air. National
Highway No. 31 passes through the district and it lies
on the main line of the Eastern Railway, thus making it
easier to access other parts of the district and the
country. Map of study area is shown in Fig. 1.
The pond is a small water body for various
purposes. It may be used for irrigation, bathing,
washing of clothes and drinking place for animals. The
people of Patna are likely to face a severe water crisis
in the coming decades owing to the slow death of its
natural water bodies. The groundwater level in different
parts of the city has gone down by 15 to 25 feet during
the last 30 years, and it is likely to go down deeper with
the vanishing water bodies. Till a few decades ago,
there were many small ponds and full ditches with
aquatic plants all over the city, constituting all
important water buffers. But, most of the surface water
bodies have either been reduced to dispose of domestic
sewage, wastewater and waste disposal dumps or
overtaken by human settlements. The present study is
an attempt to make an assessment of the change in the
physicochemical properties of three selected ponds at
Patna, Bihar.
Table 2. Drinking Water Standards of BIS, 1998 and WHO, 1993.
S. No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Parameters
pH
EC
TDS
TSS
Total Hardness
Alkalinity
Chloride
Dissolved Oxygen
Free CO2
Nitrate
Units
(S/cm)
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
BIS, 1998
6.5
9.2
500
1000
300
600
200
600
250
1000
-
WHO, 1993
6.5
8.5
300
600
200
600
-
Methods
Electrometric
Electrometric
Electrometric
Electrometric
Titration (EDTA method)
Titration
Titration
Winkler method
Titration
Titration
Fig. 1. Map of Study Area.
J. Adv. Lab. Res. Biol.
257
Study on the Physicochemical Properties of the Ponds of Patna
2.2 Collection of water samples
Water sample of ponds was collected in high grade
plastic bottles of one litre capacity rinsed with distilled
water, and before collection of water samples, they
were rinsed thrice with sample water. The water
samples were collected from the surface near the
margins of the pond between 10 am to 11.30 am. After
addition of appropriate preservatives like magnesium
sulphate, alkali iodide and sulphuric acid at the
sampling sites. The collected water samples were
transferred to a water testing laboratory, for analysis of
various physicochemical parameters. In Patna, three
ponds were selected such as Phulwarisharif pond
(denoted as P1), a Secretariat pond (S2) & Adalatganj
pond (A3) in the present investigation. The general
description of the pond is not mentioned in this paper.
2.3 Methodology
The guidelines given by [6] & [7] were followed
for water sampling. The Dissolved oxygen (DO) was
fixed at selected site and above mentioned [6] & [7]
methods were adopted for the analysis of pond water
samples. Some selected parameters were analyzed
within 36 hours. The reagents used for the analysis
were AR grade and double distilled water was used for
the preparation of the solution. The standard analytical
method is given in Table 3.
Rai and Diba
3.
Result and Discussion
The results of the physicochemical analysis of
different sampling sites are presented in Table 4.
3.1 pH
pH is defined as a negative decimal logarithm of
the hydrogen ion activity in a solution. pH is commonly
measured by means of a glass electrode connected to a
Milli voltmeter with very high input impedance, which
measures the potential difference or electromotive force
(E), between an electrode sensitive to the hydrogen ion
activity and a reference electrode, such as a calomel
electrode or a silver chloride electrode. Water that has
been exposed to air is mildly acidic. This may be due to
water absorbs carbon dioxide from the air, which is
then slowly converted into carbonic acid, which
dissociates to liberate hydrogen ions:
CO2 + H2O
H2CO3
HCO3− + H+
pH of water samples ranged from a minimum of
7.4 to 8.08, 6.1 to 7.9 and 6.2 to 6.8 at site P1, S2,
and A3 pond respectively. The obtained results
indicate that the water of A 3 pond is slightly acidic
which can be due to accumulated organic matters and
decomposition of vegetation which on biological
oxidation gives up CO2 which ultimately reduces the
pH. The use of such pond water is unsuitable for
drinking purposes.
Table 3. Standard Analytical Methods of Water Samples.
S. No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Parameters
pH
Electrical Conductivity (EC)
Calcium
Phosphate
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
Total Hardness (TH)
Alkalinity
Chloride
Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
Free CO2
Nitrate
Unit
(S/cm)
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
Methods
Electrometric
Electrometric
EDTA method
Colorimetric method
Electrometric
Electrometric
Titration (EDTA method)
Titration
Titration
Winkler method
Titration
Titration
Table 4. Physicochemical characteristics of water sample of ponds, Patna.
S. No.
Parameters
WHO Standard, 1984
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
pH
EC (umhos/cm)
Calcium, mg/l
Phosphate, mg/l
Total Hardness, mg/l
Alkalinity, mg/l
Chloride, mg/l
Dissolved Oxygen, mg/l
Free CO2, mg/l
Nitrate, mg/l
7.0 -8.5
0.300
100
100
200
5.0
-
J. Adv. Lab. Res. Biol.
Phulwarisharif pond (P1)
Ranges
(Summer - Winter)
7.4 - 8.0
345 - 438
34 - 46
0.2 - 0.4
186 - 231
70 - 110
35 - 44
4-5
7.5 - 8.4
0.76 - 0.95
Secretariat pond (S2)
Ranges
(Summer - Winter)
6.1 - 7.9
80 - 165
17 - 19
0.34 - 0.67
130 - 145
65 - 120
7 - 12
4.4 - 6.7
6.2 - 7.7
0.45 - 0.67
Adalatganj pond (A3)
Ranges
(Summer - Winter)
6.2 - 6.8
143 - 175
28 - 34
0.41 - 0.55
160 - 198
50 - 90
27 - 32
3.7 - 4.2
6.8 - 7.4
1.07 - 1.13
258
Study on the Physicochemical Properties of the Ponds of Patna
3.2 Electrical conductivity (EC)
EC is a measure of capacity of a solution to carry
an electrical current. It is a parameter for dissolved as
well as dissociated substances and indicates the
concentration of dissolved electrolytes. The permissible
value of EC for drinking water is 300 micromhos/cm
[8]. EC were maximum at site P1 and the minimum
were recorded at site S2. In the present study, (sampling
site P1 and site A3) which are loaded with wastewater
and domestic sewage from several houses showed
maximum levels of conductance in the pond water.
3.3 Calcium
Calcium occurs in the water naturally. It is a
silvery-white metal; relatively softer, but much harder
than sodium metal. Calcium is members of the alkaline
earth metals and these metals react vigorously with
water. Calcium compounds are more or less water
soluble. Calcium is also a constituent of coral reef.
Rivers generally contain 1-2 ppm calcium, but in lime
areas rivers may contain calcium concentrations as high
as 100 ppm. Calcium in water may be responsible for
the hardness. In the present study, the calcium values
were found high at the P1 site than other selected sites
such as S2 and A3. One of the main reasons for the
abundance of calcium in selected pond water is its
natural occurrence in the earth's crust as well as adding
sewage or wastewater from the nearby areas.
3.4 Phosphate
Phosphate exists in three forms such as
orthophosphate, metaphosphate (or polyphosphate) and
organically bound phosphate. Each compound contains
phosphorous in a different chemical formula.
Phosphates are not toxic to people or animals unless
they are present in very high levels. Digestive problems
could occur from extremely high levels of phosphate.
Phosphates enter waterways from human and animal
waste, phosphorus rich bedrock, laundry, cleaning,
industrial effluents and fertilizer runoff. These
phosphates become detrimental when they over fertilize
aquatic plants and cause stepped up eutrophication.
Eutrophication is the natural aging process of a body of
water such as a pond or lake. This process results from
the increase of nutrients within the body of water
which, in turn, create plant growth. The plants die more
quickly than they can be decomposed. This dead plant
matter builds up and together with sediment entering
the water, fills in the bed of the pond or lake making it
shallower. Normally, this process takes thousands of
years. During the research study, phosphates have been
found from 0.2 - 0.4mg/l at P1, 0.34 - 0.67mg/l at S2
and 0.41 - 0.75mg/l at A3 respectively. The maximum
amount of phosphate recorded at A3 site. This may be
due to discharges of domestic sewage, street runoff and
washing of clothes by local washerman (Dhobi).
J. Adv. Lab. Res. Biol.
Rai and Diba
3.5 Total Hardness
Total hardness mainly depends upon the dissolved
salts present in the water. The water is classified as very
hard if the values exceed 180mg/l, therefore water of
the river can be considered as hard. Hard water also
forms deposits that clog plumbing. These deposits,
called "scale", are composed mainly of calcium
carbonate (CaCO3), magnesium hydroxide Mg(OH)2
and calcium sulphate (CaSO4). The following
equilibrium reaction describes the dissolving/formation
of calcium carbonate scales:
CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O ⇋ Ca2+ + 2HCO3Hard water is generally not harmful to one's health
but can pose serious problems in industrial settings,
where water hardness is monitored to avoid costly
breakdowns in boilers, cooling towers and other
equipment that handles water. In domestic settings,
hard water is often indicated by a lack of suds
formation when soap is agitated in water. Wherever,
water hardness is a concern, water softening is
commonly used to reduce the hard water's adverse
effects. In the present study, it has been found that total
hardness ranges from 186 - 231mg/l at P1,
130 - 145mg/l at S2 and 160 - 198mg/l at A3
respectively. High values of hardness are probably due
to regular addition of large quantities of sewage and
soaps into the pond from the nearby slum areas.
3.6 Alkalinity
Alkalinity imparts a bitter taste and sour taste to
water bodies. High alkalinity means a healthy
environment for our body's internal organs and blood
energy transfer systems. Whereas high acidity means an
environment, that will aid the growth of disease within
the body. Alkalinity depends on pH, CO2 and chloride.
The high value of alkalinity indicates the presence of
weak and strong base such as carbonates, bicarbonates
and hydroxides in the water body [9], [10]. In the
present study, the values of alkalinity at P1, S2 and A3
were in the ranges of 70 - 110mg/l, 65 - 120mg/l and 50
- 90mg/l respectively. The medium range of alkalinity
found in the pond is due to the presence of carbonate
content in the water samples.
3.7 Chloride
Chloride (Cl−) is one of the major anions found in
water and are generally combined with calcium,
magnesium or sodium. The chloride ion is formed when
the element chlorine a halogen, gains an electron to
form an anion (negatively-charged ion) Cl−. Chloride is
also a useful and reliable chemical indicator of surface
water or groundwater fecal contamination, as chloride
is a non-reactive solute and ubiquitous to sewage and
potable water. Many water regulating companies
around the world utilize chloride to check the
contamination levels of the rivers and potable water
259
Study on the Physicochemical Properties of the Ponds of Patna
sources. In regards to human health, chloride causes
“Hyperchloremia” is an electrolyte imbalance and is
indicated by a high level of chloride in the blood. The
normal adult value for chloride is 97 - 107mEq/L. In
the present study, the maximum chloride contents were
recorded at site P1 (35 - 44mg/l) and minimum were at
S2 (7 - 12mg/l). This may be due to contaminated with
local sewage, local drains and dumping of various
waste products and vice versa. The values of chloride
were found within the permissible limits.
3.8 Dissolved oxygen
Dissolved oxygen (DO) is an important water
quality parameter for support aquatic life. Dissolved
oxygen is the regulator of metabolic processes of plant
and animal communities and indicator of water
condition. This factor provides more information about
the overall health of water bodies than any other
chemical parameters. Oxygen is also essential for all
plants and animals to survive, whether they live on the
land or in the water. Aquatic flora and fauna rely on
oxygen that is dissolved in the water. In most ponds,
lakes and streams, the amount of oxygen in the water is
continually being replenished with oxygen from the air.
Sometimes, conditions exist in which the dissolved
oxygen in the water is used up by organisms faster than
it can be replaced from the air. If all the oxygen used
up, the organisms will suffocate. In the present study,
DO vary from 4.0 - 5.0mg/l at site P1, 4.4 - 6.7mg/l at
site S2 and 3.7 - 4.2mg/l at site A3. The amount of DO in
the pond has been reported not constant but fluctuates,
depending on the ambient temperature and depth of the
water bodies. The decrease in DO at site A3 may be
attributed due to absence of little turbulence in the
water samples.
3.9 Free CO2
Almost all natural waters contain some carbon
dioxide which they gain in several ways. Carbon
dioxide gas is present in the air to the extent of 0.03
percent by volume and 0.05 percent by weight. As rain
falls through the air, it absorbs some of this gas. Carbon
dioxide also is a by-product of combustion; is emitted
from volcanoes, hot springs and geysers; and is freed
from carbonate rocks by dissolution. In the present
study, Free CO2 varies from 7.5 - 8.4mg/l at site P1,
6.2 - 7.7mg/l at site S2 and 6.8 - 7.4mg/l at site A3. The
amount of free CO2 in pond depends on the local rock
composition, temperature and depth of the water
bodies. The increase in free CO2 at site P1 may be due
to darkness photosynthesis cannot occur, and during the
resultant respiration by small microbes, small amounts
of carbon dioxide are produced in the pond water.
3.10Nitrate
Nitrate is a compound of nitrogen and oxygen
found in nature and in many food items in our diet. It
J. Adv. Lab. Res. Biol.
Rai and Diba
has been found that the concentration of nitrates in the
groundwater is low. Drinking water normally
contributes only a small percentage of our total nitrate
intake. High nitrate levels in drinking water pose a
health risk to infants because they may cause
Methemoglobinemia, a condition known as “blue baby
syndrome”. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
also uses 10mg/L as N as a mandatory national standard
for public supplies under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The amount of nitrate in the pond has been found very
low as compared to Safe Drinking Water Act. The
amount of nitrate depends on the local runoff or
seepage from municipal, domestic, industrial activities,
animal feedlots, private or urban sewage disposal and
plant debris. In the present study, nitrate varies from
0.76 - 0.95mg/l at site P1, 0.45mg/l - 0.67mg/l at site S2
and 1.07 - 1.13 mg/l at site A3. The minimum amount of
nitrate in the pond water was recorded during summer
reason, whereas, the maximum amount of nitrate in
pond water was recorded during winter season. The
high nitrate level might be due to an influx of nitrogen
rich sewage or wastewater in the pond water.
4.
Conclusion
The surface water samples which were taken from
the selected sampling locations in Patna town were
analyzed and the following conclusions were drawn
from the study:
The investigation reveals that the selected ponds of
Patna have a huge load of domestic sewage, food items,
small drains, street runoff, dumping of municipal
garbage and night soil, some of which are harmful and
toxic to human as well as to aquatic plants and other
life forms. At many locations, the total hardness levels
crossed the desirable limits, particularly in water
samples drawn from A3 site. This result also shows that
the selected pond of Patna receives a very high amount
of pollution load from the surrounding areas. The
analytical results indicate that pond water is unfit for
drinking and domestic purposes and it causes the
several waterborne diseases (Such as Botulism,
Jaundice, Hepatitis A, Dysentery, Typhoid, Cholera,
diarrhea) in human beings. Water infection commonly
results during bathing, washing, drinking in the
preparation of food or the consumption of food thus
infected.
Therefore, there is a need of protection of these
ponds from the gradual increase of human pressure so
that aquatic bodies would not disturb.
Acknowledgments
The authors express indebtedness to (Ph.D. Guide)
Dr. Biswajit Paul, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad for
providing extra facilities for this research work. The
Authors are grateful to the Chairman, and Principal
Sityog Institute of Technology, Jasoiya more,
260
Study on the Physicochemical Properties of the Ponds of Patna
Aurangabad, Bihar for his support in the form of
financial assistance for research project. Thanks are
also due to Lopa Mudra, Nawal Kishor, Priyankita
Gupta, Shallini Sinha and Binda Singh for rendering
their support and help for the analytical works. The
authors thank him from the depth of heart for all that
He/She has done in the lab.
Rai and Diba
[5].
[6].
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